UN Council backs machine guns for Golan peacekeepers

The UN Security Council today backed UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights carrying machine guns, as fallout from the Syria war increases in the ceasefire zone.
The 15-member council passed a resolution to extend the mandate of the force, which monitors a three-decade-old ceasefire between Syria and Israel, but which called on Syrian government and opposition fighters to stay out of the zone.
The council strongly condemned three abductions of UN peacekeepers in the Golan since March and expressed "grave concern" at violations of the 1974 ceasefire accord.
Members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the UN Truce Supervision Organisation were kidnapped by different opposition groups between March and May.

Two peacekeepers have been wounded in shelling as President Bashar al-Assad's forces attack rebels in the ceasefire zone.
The council stressed the "need to enhance the safety and security" of peacekeepers, and endorsed UN leader Ban Ki-moon's changes to the mission's operations to "enhance the self-defence capabilities of UNDOF."
The council resolution did not set out the measures. But UN officials and diplomats say that UNDOF peacekeepers, who traditionally only carry very light arms, will get machine guns, extra body armour and more armoured vehicles.
UNDOF has already halted night patrols in the Golan and it will close some observation posts and strengthen those that stay open.